Gov. Pat Quinn plans to sign Illinois’ "Pregnancy Fairness Bill" into law on Sunday.

State Rep. Mary Flowers (D-Chicago) sponsored the bill in the House and state Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights) was the measure’s sponsor in the Senate. An amended version of the bill received unanimous approval from both chambers of the General Assembly in late May. The measure prohibits discrimination on the basis of pregnancy in connection with employment, real estate transactions, access to financial credit and the availability of public accommodations.

Under the law, a business’ refusal of a worker’s continued employment, training, or promotion due to pregnancy would be considered a violation of her civil rights.

The bill ensures reasonable accommodations are extended to pregnant workers. For example, the measure would guarantee a pregnant police officer or UPS worker had the opportunity to be reassigned to a less strenuous role for the duration of her pregnancy.

“Until recently, many women who have been denied reasonable accommodations have continued to work anyway, risking damage to themselves or their babies,” Women Employed Director of Equal Opportunity Policy Melissa Josephs wrote in a recent Chicago Reporter opinion piece. “Others have been fired for asking.”

Women Employed, which helped draft the legislation, stressed that the law will benefit entire families, not just women. The advocacy group said that women are the primary-income source for 41 percent of American families and are  “primary or co-breadwinners” for 64 percent of families. The potential for a women to encounter a pregnancy-related conflict at work is high, as two-thirds of women in the U.S. work while pregnant.

Women Employed Communications Coordinator Kristin Ginger said the bill’s enactment will put Illinois ahead of federal lawmakers in addressing pregnancy discrimination in the workplace. The federal Pregnant Workers Fairness Act would establish similar mandates at the national level, but it has not yet been considered by Congress.

“What seems so basic would open a world of opportunity to workers who want to stay healthy, remain employed and contribute to the economy and their families’ well-being,” Josephs wrote of Illinois’ legislation.

The governor’s bill-signing ceremony is scheduled for Sunday at 11 a.m. at Alivio Medical Center in Pilsen.

Update, Monday at 10:32 a.m.: The bill-signing event is now scheduled for Alivio Medical Center in Pilsen at 10:15 a.m. on Tuesday, Ginger said.

Update, Sunday at 10:58 a.m.: The governor's bill-signing ceremony has been rescheduled for Tuesday, according to Ginger.

Ed. note: This article has been updated to accurately reflect that state Sen. Toi Hutchinson (D-Chicago Heights), not Senate President John Cullerton (D-Chicago), was a sponsor of the bill.